It is never not fun monitoring undrafted rookies during the early parts of an NFL season. There is always the possibility they could end up making the team and becoming a legitimate contributor. Chicago Bears fans love that kind of story. It is why they got behind guys like Bryce Callahan, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Sam Mustipher. Underdog stories are awesome. Well, it seems another one might be developing down at Halas.
When monitoring practices with enough regularity, it becomes easier to spot when certain names keep popping up. Names you didn’t expect. That guy right now has to be Carson Taylor. The 6’4 defensive end from Northern Arizona had 14.5 sacks and 26.5 tackles for a loss in 25 games. His 4.59 speed and 38-inch vertical also drew lots of attention. After a successful tryout with the Bears, they signed him. Then he started beating Teven Jenkins in practice, according to Adam Hoge.
“ROOKIE DEFENSIVE END CARSON TAYLOR OUT OF NORTHERN ARIZONA MADE A FEW GOOD PLAYS THROUGHOUT THE PRACTICE. AGAINST THE SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE, TAYLOR BEAT RIGHT TACKLE TEVEN JENKINS TO THE OUTSIDE, THEN SHED THE BLOCK TO WORK BACK INSIDE AND TAYLOR WOULD’VE BEEN IN PERFECT POSITION TO MAKE THE TACKLE ON THE RUNNING BACK.”
It appears Taylor isn’t done. He’s continued to wreak havoc in different ways. Nicholas Moreano caught one such moment on Wednesday’s practice.
“Taylor deflected a pass from Siemian at the line of scrimmage during 11-on-11s, then Siemian caught his own pass and attempted to throw it, which resulted in a flag.”
Chicago Bears are likely watching Taylor close right now.
Defensive end feels like a position in flux for them. Much of that is due to the status of Robert Quinn. He has yet to join the team in any capacity, including mandatory minicamps. This has led to speculation that he could be traded at some point soon. If that’s the case, it would be welcome news if somebody like Taylor could step up as a possible depth option. He certainly has enough traits to believe he’s capable of it.
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The size is there, as is the athletic potential. As with all undrafted players, it comes down to whether they can handle the jump to the big leagues. Taylor spent his entire college career feasting on opponents that would be in different occupations by the time they graduated. Beating Jenkins without pads is a good start, but it becomes quite different when guys are allowed to start really getting physical. That is why training camp should be interesting to watch for him.
